As Meghan Markle announces her latest project, we take a closer look at some of her business endeavours so far (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
After their departure from Royal duties in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have dived into several ventures, balancing these with raising their young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Their latest endeavour is centred around their children; The Parents’ Network, targeting the scourge of cyberbullying and setting out to foster safer online interactions to shield kids from digital threats.
Discussing the initiative on a recent CBS interview, Meghan opened up, saying: “I think when you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey, certainly part of mine, is being able to be really open about it. And I haven’t really scraped the surface on my experience but I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way.”
She continued: “If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone or encourage someone in their life to really, genuinely check in on them and not assume that the appearance is good so everything is okay, then that’s worth it. I’ll take a hit for that.”
The Parents’ Network presents itself as a “safe, free-to-access peer-support network”, with “comprehensive advice and resources” managed by a qualified coordinator, aiming to offer “invaluable support to those in need”.
Despite the project being dear to the Duchess, it’s not Meghan’s first foray into business – and not all her ventures have been hits.
Let’s delve deeper into her entrepreneurial journey so far….
American Riviera Orchard
Meghan’s upcoming lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard is one of her most publicised ventures. It first caught the attention of Royal enthusiasts in April when she sent a batch of branded jams to celebrity friends like Mindy Kaling, Kris Jenner and Chrissy Teigan for promotion on social media.
Fast forward to June, and Meghan sent another PR package to Nacho Figueras, a close friend of Prince Harry. This package included jars of jam and dog biscuits for him to showcase to his social media followers.
While this did generate some buzz, it didn’t sit well with Nacho’s fans. Many labelled the polo player “shameful” and “tasteless” for promoting the products just hours before King Charles’ birthday parade.
Meghan teased her new brand earlier this year (Image: Instagram)
This parade was also the first public appearance of Kate, Princess of Wales since her cancer diagnosis.
However, since its ‘soft launch’ earlier this year, Meghan’s brand seems to have hit a roadblock. There’s no official release date announced by the Duchess for when her products will be available for purchase.
The only signs of activity are posts from her celebrity friends.
The Daily Mail has reported that efforts are still underway to launch Meghan Markle’s new brand, with the first product rumoured to be a rose wine, rather than the jam or dog biscuits she has previously promoted. Alongside the wine, it is believed that a range of other products will also be launched, including drinkware, bar essentials and other items related to hosting and entertaining.
In an attempt to expedite the process, Meghan’s lawyer has applied to trademark the American Riviera Orchard brand in the US for a variety of goods, including cutlery, recipe books, tablecloths, napkins, jams, edible oils, vegetable-based spreads and dairy-based spreads. At present, these applications are still pending.
The Archetypes podcast was dropped by Spotify after just one series, but later picked up by Lemonada (Image: Lemonada)
Archetypes Podcast
Another venture pursued by the Duchess is her Archetypes podcast, which was initially launched on Spotify in 2022. The series, which consists of 12 episodes and a Christmas special, appeared to have a promising start, debuting as Spotify’s No. 1 podcast in 47 countries worldwide upon its release.
The Duchess of Sussex’s podcast, featuring A-listers like Mariah Carey and Jameela Jamil, initially aimed to dismantle the stereotypes pinning women down. Despite a star-studded lineup, it produced under 13 hours of content over three years, leading Spotify to cut ties, confirming they “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together.”
However, Meghan Markle has found a new platform for her podcast with Lemonada Media, a company on a mission to “make life suck less.”
She inked a deal in February, with a second series in the pipeline, though it won’t grace listeners’ ears until 2025.
The delay is strategic, designed to dodge any conflict with Meghan’s forthcoming Netflix series that will revel in the delights of cooking, gardening, and companionship.
Expressing her excitement about the move, Meghan said in February: “Our plan is to re-release ‘Archetypes’ so that more people can now have access to it, as well as launching a dynamic new podcast are well in the works. I’m so eager to be able to share it soon, and am overjoyed to be joining the Lemonada family.”
Meghan Markle launched a short-lived 40×40 initiative to coincide with her 40th birthday (Image: Getty Images)
40 x 40
One year on from her Royal departure, Meghan Markle made waves in the media with the announcement of her 40×40 initiative, launched in celebration of her 40th birthday. The scheme aimed to encourage her A-list friends to dedicate 40 minutes of mentorship to support women re-entering the workforce.
In a charming video reveal alongside Hollywood’s Melissa McCarthy, Meghan expressed: “It’s my 40th birthday and I’ve got an idea. Because I’m turning 40, I’m asking 40 friends to give 40 minutes of their time to mentor a woman who is remobilising back into the workforce.”
She highlighted the pandemic’s impact, stating: “Over two million women in the US alone and tens of millions around the world have lost their jobs due to Covid. And I think if we all do it, and all commit 40 minutes to an act of service, it can have a ripple ripple effect.”
However, at the project’s inception, details were scant on its operational mechanics or how its effectiveness would be gauged. Ten months post-launch, reports suggested minimal progress had been made to propel the initiative forward.
The Sun has reported a lack of updates on the endeavour, and Royal commentator Angela Levin suspects the project may have been discreetly shelved, commenting: “I think it’s very quietly gone into the dustbin.”
Compounding suspicions, the Archewell website currently bears no reference to the 40×40 project, leaving the public in the dark about its fate.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have multiple Netflix projects in production (Image: X/CBS Sunday)
Pearl
When Harry and Meghan inked a deal with Netflix in 2020, they committed to a five-year contract estimated at a whopping $100million. In return, they were to produce a range of programmes for the streaming behemoth.
Their first venture was their contentious 2022 documentary, which offered an intimate peek into their lives while also launching some serious accusations against the Royal family – much to the chagrin of Harry’s kin.
Just three weeks later, their second Netflix offering, Live to Lead, hit the screens. The show focused on global leaders championing social justice but unfortunately didn’t pull in the viewership numbers Netflix had anticipated.
A third endeavour, Pearl, an animated series charting a young girl’s journey of self-discovery, was initially on the cards. However, by May 2024, it found itself on the chopping block as part of Netflix’s strategy to cut back on certain productions.
Following its cancellation, all references to the show were scrubbed from the Archewell website, marking a premature end to the project.
Despite this hiccup, the couple’s partnership with Netflix remains intact, with several projects still in the pipeline. These include Meghan’s forthcoming cooking show and a programme centred around Harry’s favourite pastime: Polo.
